Attention: If you have a squeaky CHS water pump! New TSB

This noise is getting much worse for me and it's not cold outside. Temps now are in the 70s and I'm hearing it every time I start the car - and now I'm also hearing it every time I power off. And it sounds much worse.

I'm about to leave for an 11-day trip that will involve a fair amount of driving. I really hope nothing breaks down while I'm out of town, since the dealer up by my parent's house sucks when it comes to service. Not to mention that breaking down on the NJ Turnpike is not my idea of a good time.

 

Mine makes da noize and it's getting worse with time, but I'm outside the 5/60 window. However, I'm sure it's covered under the Platinum, so I'll get it replaced just before that runs out

 

Thanks for the info.

This really blows as it only applies to the first 60,000 miles. I am at 75,000 (30,000/yr for me) and I knew for the last year and a half it was abnormal along with many others on this board. I suspect many pumps are bad as perhaps many people have been bamboozled by the dealers as "Oh, don't worry, that high pitched squeal and grinding is perfectly normal". Uh huh... ANY would mechanic know that sound is completely abnormal.

This is a bad part through and through and Toyota should extend the warranty on this part. Honda had a bad transmission on their 2000 minivans and extended their warranty substantially because they knew it was defective.

Arrggghhh!!!

Rick
#4 2006

 

I hear nothing at all in my car - never had. Of course, that could be due to my hearing loss. Someone asked me once when I turned off the car what that pumping sound was, they said it was not that loud, and I just told them it was normal. Is this the noise you are all talking about (only for you it must be way worse). What I wonder is, if this is something really bad, wouldn't they do a recall?

 

The sound was always there, but it used to be a quiet hum, and now it is louder, higher-pitched, and stuttering (like a valve is sticking or something like that).

 

No, even if you have some hearing loss you will definitely know if the sound is abnormal. Normal whirring motor sound OK. But when they are bad they screech up and down, esp. when it is cold outside. The same sound you would expect from a motor with a bad bearing.

Rick
#4 2006

 

Mine makes the noise even when the ambient temps are in the 70's and 80's. Sounds like the beginning of "Planet Claire" by the B-52's. My ScanGuage says the pump is still working ok.

Thanks for posting the TSB, Galaxee. :first:

 

Thanks galaxee! My wife and I noticed this noise last week and I came to the forum to see if anyone had experienced it. Lo and behold, it's the top post in the forum.

 

I noticed this squeaking water pump last winter and took the car into the dealer. He said he didn't hear anything. When I read this Tec Bull I know it was the problem but again the dealer could not hear it. I call Toyota and got two incident reports and someone was going to call me back in 24 hours that was 10 days ago.
I am very disappointed with Toyota handling of this problem.
Any suggestions?

 

My '05 (35,200 miles) squeaks like a box of gerbils when I shut down, and the temps have been in the 80's this summer up here in SEMI.

I am going in for a 35K service in two days and am looking forward to reporting the problem. Thanks a bunch for this great information.

 

Temps are in the high 80s/90s here and the pump still squeaks on startup and shutdown for me. The only time it doesn't happen when I've been driving for a long time so the engine is very warm. I'm debating whether to take it in now or wait until it's time for the next oil change. My plan is to do as Galaxee said - park it at the dealer but leave it on so I can get someone to listen to it when I power off.

 

Well, I went in to the dealer in Waterford, MI and told them about the squeaky water pump at shut-down. They immediately checked out parts inventory, told me they had the part in stock, and 2 hours later it was all done up under warranty. The new pump sounds great and it was nice getting it done no muss, no fuss.

Thanks for the heads up on the TSB.

 

I wasn't aware of this issue until our water pump failed. It happened on a 90+ degree afternoon on the freeway when Mr. Red Triangle and some of his amber buddies lit up on the dashboard like a Christmas tree. I made it to a dealership where I learned of the pump problem. On the way there, however, I lost a/c, power brakes, and steering. I was told the car did that to prevent overheating.

The moral of the story is, don't wait for the squeak. Hope this helps.

 

Exactly what mine sounds like. Been doing it for a few months now, even though it's been warm. Typically hear it during cold starts after sitting all night, not frequently after it's been driven a bit. Got my 08 last September.

Sounds like the noise is really the only bad side effect at this point since it seems like a good number of you have been hearing this sound for quite some time.

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but that's a different pump, isn't it? Does the one in the TSB run ONLY at startup/shutdown, or is the same pump used to circulate coolant during operation?

 

60,000 miles, huh? Just like with the regular water pump, if it goes I'm out of luck...

Wow. Just noticed I'm ~3 months shy of a year since 70,000 and I just rolled past 78,000 this weekend. I haven't driven that little in a year since back when I had a license but no car of my own...

 

Yes, I had the same thought. I think that if the transaxle/inverter cooling pump failed, you would get the red triangle of death and the car would do whatever it could to protect the inverter electronics.

If the coolant storage tank pump fails, it would only be apparent on startup or shutdown. I would imagine it might set a code, but it is not active when driving. I recall that Hobbit has commented that the coolant storage pump does not operate unless the temp of the stored coolant is above a certain temp on startup.

 

Just took my Prius in for an oil change and to have them check out the squeak. Of course, they couldn't reproduce it, so I'll wait until the weather cools of or it gets worse.